Memory
Describe and evaluate the multi-store model of memory
Concept developed by Atkinson and Shiffrin, showed how information flows through a system of hypothetical
holding structures/stores in a fixed sequence
The three stores are the sensory register, short-term memory and long-term memory, when information is paid
attention to it passes from the sensory register to the STM and through elaborate rehearsal information can be
passed from the STM to the LTM
AO3:
Support for the three structural components being separate stores – Baddeley found the STM and LTM are coded
differently, the STM is coded acoustically and the LTM is coded semantically
Support for distinction between STM and LTM – Squire et al used brain scans to find that when participants
worked on tasks using their STM the prefrontal cortex was active and when using their LTM the hippocampus was
active – empirical evidence therefore strengthens psychology’s claim to be a science – also very reliable evidence
for the different stores in the brain
STM being unitary has been questioned – Shallice and Warrington’s study of KF showed that he had a problem
processing verbal information but not visual information – suggesting STM is made up of multiple stores and
therefore the MSM is too simplistic
Overall, it may be too simplistic – Craik and Lock suggested it’s the way in which you process information that
determines how long it lasts – because of this criticism the MSM replaced maintenance rehearsal with elaborate
rehearsal to transfer to LTM
Describe and evaluate the working memory model
Concept developed by Baddeley and Hitch as an updated version of the STM
Central executive – determines which information received by the sense organs is and isn’t attended to, it has a
limited capacity and it sends information to the correct parts of the STM
Phonological loop – deals with auditory information and has a limited capacity of about 2 seconds, broken down
into the articulary control system which silently repeats the words for maintenance rehearsal and the
phonological loop which holds words you hear
Visuospatial sketchpad – holds images and information about the relationship between things, it’s used when
planning a spatial task e.g. hammering a nail into a wall; Logie divided it into the visual cache (which stores visual
material about forms and colour) and inner scribe (which handles spatial relationships and rehearses and
transfers information in the visual cache to the central executive)
Episodic buffer was added in 2000, it’s an extra storage space
AO3:
Support for phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad being two separate stores – Trojani and Grossi, SC had
brain damage affecting the phonological loop but not the visuospatial sketchpad – suggesting they’re two
separate stores – but it’s based on case studies with brain damaged patients, so can it be generalised?
Support for episodic buffer – Alkhalifa found a patient who had a STM capacity of 25 items, exceeding the
capacity of the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad – suggesting its existence – has face validity
Support for visuospatial sketchpad being two separate stores – Klaver and Zhao found more interference
between two visual tasks than between a visual and a spatial task – suggesting the existence of two stores –
provides a more detailed view of the complexities of human memory than other models (e.g. MSM)
Describe and evaluate the long-term memory
Broken into the implicit which is the unconscious part of memory through repeated practice and the explicit
which is the conscious part of memory
Procedural memory is in the implicit part of memory and helps us remember how to do things, e.g. knowing how
to swim or read, they are automatic as a result of repeated practice, we’re less aware of these memories
Semantic and episodic are in the explicit part – semantic memories are general knowledge about the world that is
shared by everyone, e.g. ice is made from water, they may start as episodic; episodic memories are personal
memories of events, e.g. what you did yesterday, it includes contextual details
AO3:
Describe and evaluate the multi-store model of memory
Concept developed by Atkinson and Shiffrin, showed how information flows through a system of hypothetical
holding structures/stores in a fixed sequence
The three stores are the sensory register, short-term memory and long-term memory, when information is paid
attention to it passes from the sensory register to the STM and through elaborate rehearsal information can be
passed from the STM to the LTM
AO3:
Support for the three structural components being separate stores – Baddeley found the STM and LTM are coded
differently, the STM is coded acoustically and the LTM is coded semantically
Support for distinction between STM and LTM – Squire et al used brain scans to find that when participants
worked on tasks using their STM the prefrontal cortex was active and when using their LTM the hippocampus was
active – empirical evidence therefore strengthens psychology’s claim to be a science – also very reliable evidence
for the different stores in the brain
STM being unitary has been questioned – Shallice and Warrington’s study of KF showed that he had a problem
processing verbal information but not visual information – suggesting STM is made up of multiple stores and
therefore the MSM is too simplistic
Overall, it may be too simplistic – Craik and Lock suggested it’s the way in which you process information that
determines how long it lasts – because of this criticism the MSM replaced maintenance rehearsal with elaborate
rehearsal to transfer to LTM
Describe and evaluate the working memory model
Concept developed by Baddeley and Hitch as an updated version of the STM
Central executive – determines which information received by the sense organs is and isn’t attended to, it has a
limited capacity and it sends information to the correct parts of the STM
Phonological loop – deals with auditory information and has a limited capacity of about 2 seconds, broken down
into the articulary control system which silently repeats the words for maintenance rehearsal and the
phonological loop which holds words you hear
Visuospatial sketchpad – holds images and information about the relationship between things, it’s used when
planning a spatial task e.g. hammering a nail into a wall; Logie divided it into the visual cache (which stores visual
material about forms and colour) and inner scribe (which handles spatial relationships and rehearses and
transfers information in the visual cache to the central executive)
Episodic buffer was added in 2000, it’s an extra storage space
AO3:
Support for phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad being two separate stores – Trojani and Grossi, SC had
brain damage affecting the phonological loop but not the visuospatial sketchpad – suggesting they’re two
separate stores – but it’s based on case studies with brain damaged patients, so can it be generalised?
Support for episodic buffer – Alkhalifa found a patient who had a STM capacity of 25 items, exceeding the
capacity of the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad – suggesting its existence – has face validity
Support for visuospatial sketchpad being two separate stores – Klaver and Zhao found more interference
between two visual tasks than between a visual and a spatial task – suggesting the existence of two stores –
provides a more detailed view of the complexities of human memory than other models (e.g. MSM)
Describe and evaluate the long-term memory
Broken into the implicit which is the unconscious part of memory through repeated practice and the explicit
which is the conscious part of memory
Procedural memory is in the implicit part of memory and helps us remember how to do things, e.g. knowing how
to swim or read, they are automatic as a result of repeated practice, we’re less aware of these memories
Semantic and episodic are in the explicit part – semantic memories are general knowledge about the world that is
shared by everyone, e.g. ice is made from water, they may start as episodic; episodic memories are personal
memories of events, e.g. what you did yesterday, it includes contextual details
AO3:
